Airline Business articles from June 2007

Airline Business archives from June 2007

Ethiopian eyes Star link.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Brendan Sobie VANCOUVER Ethiopian Airlines could become the Star Alliance's second African member, following its recent codeshare agreement with Lufthansa. "Most likely it will be Star" Girma Wake chief executive,...

Rwandair to select strategic partner.(Briefing)(Rwandair Express)(Brief article)
June 19, 2007... Rwandair Express plans to choose Brussels Airlines or Italy's Meridiana as its new strategic partner. The carriers pre-qualified in May as bidders for a 40% stake in Rwandair Express and have completed on-site evaluations of the airline....

Briefing.
June 19, 2007... More changes for SAA South African Airways is axing its Paris service and grounding its Boeing 747-400 fleet as part of its ongoing restructuring. Changes at SAA began in April, when the carrier unveiled plans to cut jobs, axed its Zurich...

Aeromexico sale delayed.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Mexico's government has delayed plans to sell its 62% stake in Aeromexico from June to September. Andres Conesa, president of the Aeromexico group, which includes regional carrier Aerolitoral, says the new sale date is now "concrete". The...

Cash controls hit Aeropostal.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Venezuela's Aeropostal is blaming currency controls for its decision to suspend all three of its South American cross-border routes. By mid-July it is dropping flights to Lima, BogotA , and Medellin, suspending services to Havana, and...

US-China market opens up again.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Nicholas Ionides Singapore AND DAVID FIELD WASHINGTON Three years after agreeing a liberal air services deal, China and the USA have signed another pact doubling the number of passenger flights over five years and allowing for...

Midwest fights on with more seats.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: David Field Washington "A very efficient, very effective way to grow the airline at a very, very nominal cost" Tim Hoeksema chief executive, Midwest Midwest Airlines is altering its basic product strategy in a bid to...

Northwest's service push.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: David Field Washington Northwest Airlines plans to spend at least $50 million on customer service initiatives, airport technology and employee training this year. "Internationally, we're going to grow and expand our footprint"...

TACA and TAM Star gaze.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: David Knibb Seattle Three new agreements signal a renewed effort by the Star Alliance to boost its Latin American presence. "We put ourselves in the shoes of the customers" Wolfgang Mayrhuber chief executive, Lufthansa...

Virgin wins approval but Reid goes.(Briefing)(Virgin America Inc., Fred Reid )(Brief article)
June 19, 2007... "This has been quite a journey but I'm truly happy that we will be able to launch our airline" Fred Reid chief executive, Virgin America The US Department of Transportation has cleared Virgin America Airlines to launch services...

In brief.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Air Jamaica drops London Air Jamaica is to axe its only long-haul service as part of a new tie-up with Virgin Atlantic Airways. The carrier will cease serving London Heathrow at the end of October. Virgin Atlantic at the same time will...

Turning point.(Analysis)(Column)
June 19, 2007... Airline profits will peak next year but certain structural growth opportunities will remain, writes Chris Tarry of CTAIRA, with analyses from Antonio Panariello of Flight Insight To recall and paraphrase the words of a popular Johnny Nash...

Analysis.
June 19, 2007... Report by Nicholas Ionides in Singapore**Analysis by Antonio Panariello Cargo under pressure Asia-Pacific carriers are producing solid results but there are increasing concerns about the softening freight market. Singapore...

Analysis.
June 19, 2007... Report by Brendan Sobie in London**Analysis by Antonio Panariello Is the market going soft? European carriers enjoyed a better than expected start to 2007 but concerns are growing that they could soon run into turbulence. Nearly...

Air India name to survive merger.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Nicholas Ionides Singapore India's government has taken another step forward in its ambitious plan to merge Air India with Indian Airlines by deciding on the enlarged carrier's name, base and top management team. Air India has...

Kingfisher buys large Air Deccan stake.(Kingfisher Airlines)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Nicholas Ionides Singapore and Vancouver More consolidation has come to the Indian market with the parent of Kingfisher Airlines buying the biggest single stake in rival Air Deccan. "The important thing is that Air Deccan is...

Korean plans to enter low-cost fray.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... "With this new low-cost carrier, Korean Air will maintain its global carrier image" Low-cost carriers are finally making their way to the north Asian market, with Korean Air revealing that it intends to launch a subsidiary operation. ...

International carrier for Myanmar.(Briefing)(Air Bagan)(Brief article)
June 19, 2007... Myanmar has a new international operator after domestic carrier Air Bagan in May launched Airbus A310 services to the Thai capital Bangkok. Air Bagan launched domestic services in 2004, but recently added two used A310-200 widebodies that...

In brief.(Briefing)(Cebu Pacific Air orders aircrafts)(South Korea introduces new airline)(Singapore Changi Airport starts flight operations)(Brief article)
June 19, 2007... Cebu adds turboprops Philippine low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific has placed firm orders for six ATR 72-500s and taken options on eight more. Deliveries of the turboprops are due to begin early next year. New carrier for Korea A new...

Qantas tweaks its plan.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: David Knibb Brisbane The failed takeover bid for Australia's Qantas Airways has become a catalyst for change, invigorating the airline's board and managers to consider actions that previously were unthinkable. Qantas management...

In brief.(Briefing)(General Administration of Civil Aviation deregulates domestic air routes)(All Nippon Airways Company Ltd. contracts with Asiana Airlines)(Sydney airport reverts to old method of basing fees)
June 19, 2007... More Chinese deregulation The Civil Aviation Administration of China is aiming to fully deregulate domestic air routes by 2010, giving smaller players more opportunity to challenge major airlines. By 2010 airlines will no longer be...

Fly Asian Xpress.(Forum)(appointment of Azran Osman-Rani)(Brief article)
June 19, 2007... Azran to run FAX A new chief executive has been appointed to head Malaysia's Fly Asian Xpress, which is preparing to launch long-haul, low-fare services under the AirAsia banner. Azran Osman-Rani has been appointed to replace Raja Mohd...

Air India.(Forum)
June 19, 2007... Thulasidas to head India's enlarged national carrier Air India chief V Thulasidas will become chairman and managing director of the enlarged carrier after its merger with Indian Airlines. His counterpart at Indian Airlines, chairman and...

Royal Brunei Airlines.(Forum)
June 19, 2007... Sayer takes Brunei posting Royal Brunei Airlines has named Ray Sayer as its new chief executive, with effect from 1 September. Sayer has nearly 40 years' experience in the industry and has most recently been living in Bahrain, where he...

WestJet.(Forum)(WestJet Airlines Ltd. cofounder WestJet Airlines Ltd. retires)(Brief article)
June 19, 2007... WestJet co-founder retires Don Bell - WestJet's executive vice-president for corporate culture and one of WestJet's four founders - is retiring. Bell held various posts at the airline, but is best known for instilling the much-admired...

British Airways.(Forum)
June 19, 2007... Moss leads BA push Former British Airways veteran Dale Moss is leading the carrier's project group planning the launch of direct services between the USA and key European business cities outside the UK. Moss, who was BA's director of...

In brief.(Forum)
June 19, 2007... Long-serving SAS executive Gunnar Reitan is leaving the company at his own request. He was latterly executive vice-president of SAS and headed up its affiliate airlines business area. Former Alitalia, Air One and Virgin Express executive...

Green manifesto.(Comment)
June 19, 2007... IATA turned the spotlight on the environment at its recent annual meeting in Vancouver. And while some find dealing with an issue that doesn't seem to affect their region uncomfortable, the simple truth is that every airline needs to develop a...

Events diary.(Forum)
June 19, 2007... JULY 2007 15 Airline Strategy Awards 2007 London, UK See Highlights 23-25 Asia Pacific Aviation Summit Sydney, Australia Contact Terrapinn Tel +61 2 9005 0707 Website www.terrapinn.com September 2007...

Brussels eyes alliance place.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Newly-created Brussels Airlines has begun looking at joining one of the major global alliances. The Belgian carrier is not affiliated with any alliance but codeshares with carriers from all three major groups. "We want to assess the...

Jat looks for strategic partner.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: David kaminski-morrow Belgrade Serbian flag carrier Jat Airways is seeking a strategic airline partner as it looks to privatise and join a global alliance. Aeroflot and Air India have been cited as prospective suitors but Jat...

The great SAS sell off.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Brendan Sobie London SAS unveiled in June a new business plan aimed at increasing the carrier's profitability through cost cuts and focusing entirely on its home market. The Scandinavian carrier is planning a massive sell-off...

BA and Virgin plan all-premium foray.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Brendan Sobie Vancouver EU-US Open Skies is prompting major European carriers to look at establishing transatlantic all-business class operations. "The regulatory restrictions that have been in place have now been lifted" ...

In brief.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Alitalia's alternative plan Alitalia has begun to develop contingency plans for a new business strategy in the event that its privatisation process fails. Alitalia's board has been asked by the Italian government, which holds a 49% stake...

It takestwo.(Features)(JetBlue Airways Corp.)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Report by David Field in New York*Photography by Simon Buckley After a turbulent winter, JetBlue Airways founder David Neeleman (right) has ceded daily duties to long-time aide Dave Barger to focus on longer-term goals. Can this...

Best of the Airline Business Blogs.(Forum)
June 19, 2007... Midwest's found money: adequate AirTran defence? They say honesty is the best policy, and you have to admire the Midwest Airlines employee who stumbled on a bag of gems near the Kansas City airport, a haul worth about a cool quarter million...

Emissions challenge.(Forum)
June 19, 2007... Europe's plan to include aviation in its emissions trading scheme raises a variety of legal issues and has the potential to distort the market, says Michael Renouf, head of law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner's Brussels office "Issuing free...

FortressFrance.(Features)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Report by Kerry Ezard in La Baule and London France has always been a tough nut to crack for the low-cost carrier. Where are the opportunities to take on Air France and the country's high-speed rail network? "We need clear...

SkyTeam plots slot trade.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Brendan Sobie Vancouver SkyTeam is planning a major slot trade to allow its three US members to launch services from London Heathrow next spring. Newly appointed SkyTeam chairman Leo van Wijk says the alliance approved plans at...

IATA extends deadline for carriers to adopt e-tickets.(Briefing)(International Air Transport Association)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Brendan Sobie and Mark Pilling Vancouver IATA is giving members another five months to eliminate paper tickets, but several small carriers are concerned there still will not be enough time to put in place interline e-ticketing (IET)...

In brief.(Briefing)(International Air Transport Association appoints Chew Choon Seng)(International Air Transport Association extends contract with Giovanni Bisignani)(airports list increases)
June 19, 2007... Pinto takes over as chairman TAP Portugal chief executive Fernando Pinto has replaced Singapore Airlines chief executive Chew Choon Seng as IATA chairman. Pinto began his one-year term as chairman at the close of the annual general meeting...

Oneworld boosts member revenues.(Briefing)(Oneworld Alliance)(Brief article)
June 19, 2007... The oneworld alliance generated $2 billion in revenues for its members last year, including $450 million in incremental revenues. In a briefing before the start of the IATA annual general meeting, oneworld announced that about 8 million...

Industry profits on the rise.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... IATA has raised its industry profit forecast for this year and next on the back of improving market conditions. The association now expects the industry to generate a net profit of $5 billion this year, a more than 30% improvement over the...

The big climb.(Insight)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Mark Pilling Vancouver IATA used its annual general meeting to debate the industry's effects on the environment and to unveil its strategy to try and reduce this impact "A growing carbon footprint is no longer politically...

Leanroutine.(Features)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Report by Kevin Speicher in Chicago and Michael Zea in Stamford Applying "lean" techniques to the airline industry can significantly improve operations Since its genesis in the 1950s, lean manufacturing has proven incredibly...

Oman Air to fill Gulf Air void at Muscat.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: David kaminski-morrow London Oman Air is set to launch long-haul services following the Omani government's unexpected decision to withdraw as a Gulf Air shareholder. "We weren't expecting that. But we had our plans and, in...

Kuwait Airways confident despite new competition.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Brendan Sobie London Kuwait Airways is to renew its fleet and expand its network Kuwait Airways is on track to return to profitability in fiscal year 2007-8 despite intensifying competition in the Kuwaiti airline market. In...

Back in the bottle.(Special Report)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Report by David Field in Washington Three years ago a rash of new technologies emerged offering the chance for airlines to end their reliance on pricey Global Distribution Systems. Bold enough to be dubbed Genies, they haven't...

Special Report.(Brief article)
June 19, 2007... The Airline IT Trends Survey 2007Page 32 Leading edge IT brings service benefitsPage 38 Star carriers prepare for common platformPage 43 What became of the GDS New Entrants?Page 44 IT This year's Airline IT Trends Survey...

Special Report.(Brief article)
June 19, 2007... Challenges Verbatim survey remarks on the major IT challenges ahead "Controlling the cost of IT" "Become a real support for business decisions" "Access to a cheap communications infrastructure" "The ability to move or...

Special Report.
June 19, 2007... Successes Verbatim survey remarks on the major IT successes of the past year "Internet check-in and speedy boarding" "Home-printed boarding passes" "E-ticketing platform" "Simplifying the customer process" "Website...

Checking in.(Special Report)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Report by Colin baker in Edinburgh The use of check-in kiosks, the internet and mobile telephones, as well as older technologies such as barcodes,are gaining widespread adoption across the industry, according to the 2007 Airline IT...

Join hands.(Special Report)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Report by Colin Baker in Edinburgh Star Alliance carriers are teaming up to switch over to its long-awaited common IT platform Few IT projects in airline history have promised as much as the Star Alliance common platform. It...

Centrestage.(Special Report)
June 19, 2007... Byline: Report by Colin Baker in Edinburgh IT unit costs have fallen in recent years with the introduction of new technology, but investment remains strong in areas where IT is a critical business differentiator This year's Airline IT...

Emirates and SriLankan discuss contract extension.(Briefing)
June 19, 2007... Emirates has begun meeting the Sri Lankan government to discuss a possible extension of their 10-year management contract over SriLankan Airlines. Representatives from Emirates met Sri Lankan government officials at the end of May and it...